 Good evening, everyone. Can everybody hear me? I miss I can hear you. Wonderful. Good evening, everyone. My name is Joel Chalmine, Education Officer for District 8. I would like to welcome you to the District 8 leg of a series of town hall meetings on the Draft Saint Lucia Education Act and regulations. There is a popular quote that I will borrow for this session tonight, and it is that of Nelson Mandela, which states, education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world. It is always act as it speaks to the very essence of economic development, personal growth, eradication of poverty, social justice, economic and individual prosperity, and I can go on. So today, in fact, tonight, we have banded together to discuss the business of education, in particular the single most powerful weapon that governs, if not everything in education, and that is the Education Act. Our resolve to the challenges of education is guided by this Bible, if I were to describe it as that. Our activities and responsibilities are conditioned by this. The last revision of the Education Act was in 2005. We are in 2023, 18 years later, babies born in 2005 are adults now. Times have changed, situations have changed, the world has changed, a lot in education has changed. So must the Education Act. It needs an upgrade to reflect the times and to project futuristically considering the dynamic nature of education. So additions, subtractions, additions are a must at this juncture. I welcome and invite you to be critical, reasonable in your observations and comments in an effort to improve these documents so that it is the best, practicable and achievable. Before we begin the discussion and deliberations, permit me to offer a word of prayer. So if everyone in whatever space that you occupy, you can adopt the correct posture for prayer, I would appreciate that. Eternal God, merciful Father, you see and you know it all. You know the future of this country, the strides and regression that we will or may take in education. Father, we ask that you will be done in this country through us educators and others with a vested interest in the educational development of our fellow in St. Lucia. Lord, blood wash us, sanctify us and give us the insights, intelligence, creativity, wisdom and fortitude to make a great impact on the development of education in St. Lucia. Let our standards rise and our results with the children who are evaluated through examinations and other social academic performance indicated equate the standard set for them. Bless this discussion. We bring into captivity any comment that seeks to regress, divide, oppress and confuse. Let this discussion be pleasant and productive with consideration for each other's feelings and different opinions. Let the constructive criticisms and recommendations for improvement be well received by the consultants. Lord, we ask that you take absolute control and let everything done tonight be in accordance to your will for education in St. Lucia. And with this we say amen. Ladies and gentlemen, it was a pleasure welcoming all of you to this virtual town hall meeting. I want you to be bold, be brave, be confident with your comments. I now hand over to the lead consultant, Dr. Monica Williams, who will take it from there. Thank you very much, Ms. Charlemagne, for those welcoming remarks and devotion. It certainly sets a wonderful tone for our discussion this evening and I'd like to welcome everyone. We greatly appreciate you taking your time to join us this evening and provide us with feedback on the draft Education Act on Regulations. This is your Education Act on Regulations and we really want to hear from you this evening. At this point, I would like to introduce my colleague who's also joining me for the town hall, Mrs. Paula Cook McKinnon. Mrs. McKinnon, if you would like to say a few words of greeting. Good morning or good evening, everyone. I know we're not starting our day. I'd just like to join Dr. Williams and Ms. Charlemagne in welcoming you here this evening and thanking you for taking the time to participate in what we believe to be a very important activity. Over the last two years, we have been working based on input from persons throughout St. Lucia and based on international best practice for Education Acts throughout the world to draft an Education Act and supporting regulations that would support the modern education system that you currently have in St. Lucia and the one that you aspire to have moving forward. But all of that is not helpful unless you tell us whether or not it will serve you well. We have had just extraordinary input and participation in the town hall meetings that we have held over the last two weeks and we anticipate that this will be no different in reflecting Ms. Charlemagne's words about be brave and do contribute. We welcome conflicting views that makes it stronger and better and we really hope that we can have a really fulsome discussion this evening that will lead us to further enhancements to the drafts that we are discussing this evening to make them serve you, the people of St. Lucia, well as you undertake your important work to support education. Thank you very much Mrs. McKinnon. Next slide please. So we've had our introductions. Mrs. Fortuna Anthony is another member of our team. She couldn't join us this evening but she sends her best regards and best wishes for a productive discussion. Our schedule for tonight is on the screen right now. Starting with our welcome devotion and introductions which we've just completed. I'm going to go over the purpose of the town hall meetings and also the ground rules for the meeting tonight. Then we will provide a brief description of the review of the Education Act 2005 and also an overview and discussion of the core features of the draft Education Act and regulations. We're going to provide an outline of the key changes that are being proposed and ask for your feedback on them. We'd like to hear your priorities and hopes for the draft Education Act and regulations and then at about 725 we'll have concluding remarks from Miss Charlemagne and a thank you and adjourn at approximately 730. We tried to adhere to the schedule as best we can. In some town halls we have gone over time because we had so many questions which was wonderful but this is the outline of how the conversation will unfold this evening. Next slide please. So what is the purpose of these town hall meetings? Well first of all to describe the review of the Education Act 2005 that has been underway for almost two years now. We're going to discuss the core features of the draft Education Act and regulations and those Education Act and regulations that those drafts are available to the public. A website will be put in the chat box this evening. Anyone can access the draft Education Act and regulations. We encourage you to do so to read through them and provide feedback. We want to listen to your priorities and hopes what you would like to see addressed in the draft Education Act and regulations and what you would like to come out of it as this work is being done. This evening we are recording the town hall meeting so that we can record your questions and comments and then analyze them to identify the main issues that you raise. After that we will address the topics and issues raised in the town hall meetings and the validation and finalization of the draft Education Act and regulations. So after we've collected all this input and analyzed it and address the issues that have been raised, we're going to create a final draft Education Act and regulations and an accompanying report. They will be submitted to the Department of Education and then the Department of Education in St. Lucia decides what happens next in the process. Next slide, please. So what are the meeting ground rules? Again, we want to emphasize your questions and comments are welcomed. We're chairing the meeting and we're trying to start an end promptly. You may raise your questions or comments in two ways. You can place them in the chat box. And also you're most welcome to raise your hand and speak during the meeting. And to do that, please raise your hand and if you haven't participated in a virtual town hall like this before, if you look at the bottom of your screen, you'll see an icon with a smiley face and a plus sign that says reactions. If you click on that, you'll see a raise hand icon. Just click on that and we will see your hand raised. Once we see your hand raised and we'll call on you, please state your name and share your question or comment in three minutes or less. And we're asking that so that as many people as possible have the chance to speak during the meeting. We appreciate and respect all questions and comments and ask that you do the same. And if there's one thing we've learned over the past two years, it's that St. Lucia's are very passionate about their education system. There are very different viewpoints and perspectives on what should be happening in the education system. And so we recognize that there are different and sometimes conflicting opinions and we respect them. And we ask that you also respect them as we proceed tonight. Next slide, please. So now we're going to go into a brief description of the review of the Education Act that's been happening. In January 2022, the St. Lucia Department of Education contracted with Mind Bloom Consulting and St. Francis Abbey University to partner with St. Lucia educators in the review and enhancement of the Education Act from 2005. And I want to emphasize the word partner. This has been a partnership. We have been working with educators across the island in reviewing the current Education Act and coming up with proposed enhancements to make that act stronger. The review was undertaken because the existing Act is from 2005 and the Department of Education wants to ensure that the Education Act meets the needs of a modern education system now and in the future. Next slide, please. From February 2022 up to the present time, we've conducted extensive stakeholder consultations and completed a great deal of research. And as Paula mentioned a few months ago with regard to research, we've looked at education acts in the across the Caribbean region. We've looked at education acts from around the world and analyzed the issues that are emerging in education systems, especially in the wake of the pandemic. And we've consulted with many, many St. Lucia's throughout this two year timeframe. Parents, students, educators, members of advocacy groups, ministry leaders, the Office of the Attorney General, the St. Lucia Teachers Union, the National Principles Association, and those are just a few. So there have been ongoing consultations that have informed our work. Based on the findings of the consultations and research, first draft Education Act and regulations were prepared in March 2023. So after a year of speaking with St. Lucia's and getting their input and looking at the research, we prepared a first draft for feedback. And we got a tremendous amount of feedback, which was wonderful. Multiple stakeholders provided feedback on this first draft. We received more than 700 suggestions, and they were all reviewed and considered and acted upon to create the revised draft Education Act and regulations that we are discussing here tonight. So this draft that we're discussing right now was just finalized a couple of weeks ago, and it's hot off the press and we wanted to take it right to the public of St. Lucia for feedback. The town hall meetings are being held across St. Lucia to provide members of the public with a description of the review of the Education Act 2005 and the progress achieved to date. Access to the revised November 2023 draft Education Act and regulations. And as I mentioned a few moments ago, a website link will be put in the chat box for you tonight so you can click on that and look at the draft Act and regulations. And also we're having the town hall meetings to provide members of the public with an opportunity to contribute to the validation and finalization of the draft Education Act and regulations. Next slide, please. So what are the significant changes the enhancements that are being proposed from the 2005 Act? Well, first of all, at the beginning of the draft Education Act, we have a new student centered vision for education in St. Lucia. It's focused on the student, the provision of inclusive curriculum and modern curriculum, ensuring that all students in St. Lucia have the chance to reach their full potential as learners and that the education system really revolves around their needs and addressing them. We've also done a tremendous amount of work on the definitions and the language in the Education Act. We heard from many St. Lucians that the language in the 2005 Act is outdated. For example, there are some programs referenced in that Act that are no longer offered in the education system. In addition, we heard from many people that the current definitions in the Education Act, some of them are inaccurate. And many people requested that we add more definitions and we have done just that. So if you look at the interpretation section at the beginning of the Act, you will see multiple definitions and we've used updated language throughout the Education Act. And we've tried to use very plain language so that the legislation is readily understandable and that it's user-friendly for everyone involved. Throughout the Act, we also have a focus on holistic education. So moving beyond students' academic achievement to focus on all aspects of their learning and well-being, their physical well-being, their mental well-being. And to give you an example of how this is addressed in the Draft Act, we've added a section on educational psychosocial supports for students such as counseling services, feeding programs, etc. Because it's really important to address the needs of the whole child. We've also added provisions for universal access to education so that all children can attend school, that they can do that with free tuition, that their parents will not be billed for their attendance, their participation in education. And also we've added provisions for protection from discrimination. So for example, a child cannot be denied access to school on the basis of their gender or their ability or their ethnic background or language. We've also in the Act added a new Council on Special Needs Education and Inclusive Education. And again, this was on the basis of feedback from multiple stakeholders. Many persons felt that the current provisions for students with special needs were inadequate and they wanted to see more done to support these learners. So we have strengthened that part of the Education Act. We've also added a new National Code of Conduct for the first time. And this Code of Conduct would apply to all schools and it includes standards for behavior and also standards for appropriate dress. It's a very positive focus in the National Code of Conduct on assisting students with learning positive, respectful behavior. There's also a recognition that sometimes students misbehave and the responses to misbehavior are described in detail in the National Code as well. We've also expanded the compulsory school age. Right now it's 5 to 15 years. In the draft Act, it's expanded to 3 to 17 years including early childhood education for children ages 3 to 5. So that's a significant step ahead as well. And again, we heard from many St. Lucian's about the importance of early childhood education and they wanted to see the provisions for that strengthened in the new Act. We also heard from many educators that they felt that they did not have clear authority to discipline students and protect the safety and security of students and staff at school. So we've added new provisions to the draft Act. There are clear statements regarding the authority of educators to discipline students, whether it's teachers, principals, vice-principals. We've also added in provisions for search and seizure that if there is an imminent threat to the safety and security of persons at school, the teachers and principals can act to address that threat. We've added several new types of education, including alternative online and blended education, particularly during the pandemic and in the wake of the pandemic. Online and blended education have become more prominent as students have engaged in virtual learning. And also, many persons have told us about the need for more alternative education options in St. Lucia. And that is non-traditional pathways through secondary school for students who may not be the strongest academically, but they have many gifts and skills and talents that they can develop in skilled trades and in other occupations. And alternative education provides them with those opportunities. We've also defined the rights, duties, powers and responsibilities of everyone from the Minister of Education and the Permanent Secretary and the Chief Education Officer to students, parents, teachers, vice-principals, principals. And we've added the duties of education officers and school counselors to the Act for the first time. So we've attempted to clearly describe everybody's roles and they are included in the draft Act. So what are the sections of the draft Education Act? The first section is the preliminary section, which includes the long title and the vision of education. Also, the definitions may be found in the interpretation section. And the purpose of the Education Act is spelled out at the very beginning. Part one deals with administration of the education system. And this addresses the duties and powers and responsibilities of senior ministry leaders, such as the Minister of Education, the Permanent Secretary, the Chief Education Officer and Education Officers, as well as the role of education advisory boards. In part two, there's a description of the different stages of public school from early childhood to primary, secondary and tertiary. And also we describe the different types of education that I mentioned a moment earlier. We also describe the registration and operation of schools. And we had many requests to provide more structure for homeschooling, which we have done. We've outlined a process for getting approval for homeschooling programs, how homeschooling has to be aligned to the National Curriculum of St. Usha, and also a process for inspections of homeschooling programs. And as I mentioned a moment ago, we've also strengthened the provisions for special needs education and inclusive education in the Act. And I see in the chat box has the link to the Act been uploaded? Yes, it is in the chat message just above the one you just sent. There's a link there for accessing the documents. Thank you for the question. Part three describes the rights and responsibilities of students and parents, and they have very important roles in education. For example, the students have a right to appropriate education and their students have accountability. They have to follow the direction of the teachers and the principals and vice-principals. And parents have rights and duties as well. They have the right to be informed about their child's education, for example, and their child's progress. They also have duties to ensure that the students attend school. And they have the duty to communicate and collaborate with teachers and school administrators in their child's education. Part four addresses the student admission to school and student attendance and school records. And I mentioned already about the compulsory school age being expanded. In this section two, you'll find information about the zoning of schools, the process for student transfers, and also we describe the duties and powers of student attendance officers in this section of the Act. Part five describes the National Curriculum Instruction and Assessment of Students. And as mentioned earlier, it's an inclusive modern national curriculum. More detail is provided in the regulations on the contents of the curriculum. But in the Act, we describe the core subjects, key stages of assessment, and we also describe balanced student assessment. And while we recognize that examinations and tests serve an important function, it's also stated in the Act that other forms of assessment are also very important, including ongoing formative assessment of student progress while they're learning, and also diagnostic assessment of where students are in their learning, when a new subject or grade or unit of study begins. Also, you'll find collective worship and religious education in this section of the Act. In part six, we address the management of schools, including the functioning of boards of management. We describe the TVEC Council, and we also address students, councils, and parent-teacher community associations. That's also an important change. We've expanded from parent-teacher to parent-teacher community associations in response to stakeholder input, that they wanted to see a recognition of the partnership between community members and schools, and so now that is being accommodated. Part seven describes the National Code of Conduct, the types of disciplinary responses to student misbehavior, including suspensions, and I've mentioned new provisions in the Act for search and seizure, and also that parents have the right to appeal a disciplinary response if they are not satisfied with the decision that has been made. So a process is described there for appeals. Part eight describes the rights and duties of educators, and that includes principals, vice-principals, teachers, and for the first-time school guidance counselors. So their rights are described as well as their duties. Part nine addresses the St. Lucia Island Scholarship, including the value of the scholarship, the qualifications and examination to be eligible for the scholarship, the conditions under which it may be for-fitted, the bonding of scholarship recipients, and the jurisdiction of the cabinet on the awarding of scholarships grants and bursaries. Part 10 describes the appeals process through the Education Appeals Tribunal, and part 11 is miscellaneous. So that's a hodgepodge of different topics, everything from annual school reports to how contagious diseases are dealt with, the process for closure of schools, prohibition of sale of alcohol, drugs, etc. A wide variety of subjects are dealt with in the miscellaneous section of the Draft Act. So now we're going to pause and ask for your questions and comments about the Draft Education Act after that brief overview. Anything you'd like to have more information on or a clarification on or any suggestions that you may have, please go to the chat box and write them in or raise your hand and we'll take your questions and comments. It's very quiet. No questions or comments at all about the Draft Education Act. Oh, okay. Hi, good evening. Good evening, please go ahead. Question, I heard a list of persons that you all have had consultations with, but I did not hear specifically meeting with teachers in the various districts because they are the practitioners, they are the ones who the act directly affects or guides their day to day activities. So have you all met with teachers specifically? Thank you very much for the question. So as I mentioned at the beginning, we've been having consultations since February 2022. And from the beginning, we have included teachers and consultations. And we are having consultations with teachers tomorrow afternoon, just teachers alone. They've been most welcome at the town hall meetings across St. Lucia and we've had many teachers attend. And there is going to be an information session just for teachers tomorrow afternoon. And I'm going to ask Paula, Cook McKinnon, my colleague to comment further on that. Because we've had so many consultations, it's impossible to list them all. So thank you so much, Dr. Williams. And yes, we have consulted with teachers early on. And we also reached out to the St. Lucia teachers union early on as the representative of many teachers in St. Lucia. And in fact, the teachers union has provided some significant input into shaping the document that is before you today. So we have endeavored to reach teachers and we will continue to endeavor to reach teachers and also have had dialogue with the St. Lucia teachers union as well. Is there another question there, Soufraire? Okay. Any other questions or comments? Let me just ask quickly. I'm not sure what subsection it is, but on the students records and reports on the subsection 225C. Are you hearing me? Yes, I am. Please go ahead. Where it states the parents of a student who is 18 years of age or older who have obtained the student's consent. Is that going to be addressed? Because I'm thinking this is a case where a student 18 years or older may be attending. Soufraire, I am the parent and I have paid for the student to attend tertiary education, but that child has to give me consent to obtain the results. Thank you for the question. And this is a topic that's come up and I just want to provide a bit of background and directly answer your question. We have also added to the act an extended school age for 18 to 20 years for students like the one you've described. Because we've heard from many St. Lucia's that some students require extra time to complete secondary school. Sometimes students with special needs stay till age 20. So we've added in an extended school age for youth aged 18 to 20 years. And in the provisions for school records, we did discuss the very question you're asking. We tried to ensure that parents would have access to school records, but from what you're saying, that doesn't sound clear to you. It doesn't sound like you would have access to school records. Dr. Williams, maybe I could add because I did have quite an extensive discussion with the drafting. We have a lawyer on our team from St. Lucia, Ms. Kim St. Rose, who is the former Attorney General for St. Lucia. And she is a drafter. So the reason for the inclusion of the wording that is currently there is because at a certain point students reach the age of majority and are considered independent. And an institution such as a school or a tertiary institution cannot determine or assume the relationship between someone who is registered and their parent. So instead of presuming certain relationships, we thought it would be prudent where a student is of the age of majority to have expressed permission from the student to have his or her parent receive information about their participation in their educational program, such as Marx and those sorts of things. So it is actually recognition of a student reaching the age of majority and their right to receive information. And in some cases, the fact that they are independent at that point in time and, for example, in tertiary education, perhaps financing their education themselves. Thank you, Mrs. McKinnon. And if I could add to that, if you look at Section 81 of the Education Act, which is the section on the rights and duties of students, you will see in Section 81 further to what we've been seeing about youth. A youth is deemed to have consented to his or her parent receiving his or her periodic or termly report, school records, special needs assessment, medical report, report on discipline, or any other record or report under this act. So there is a provision there that spells out that the parent would receive periodic reports under Section 81 if you'd like to check. And thank you for the question because it is something as Paula has said, and we've discussed quite a bit because of students reaching the age of maturity. And that would apply. Section 81, I believe, Monica applies to students who have reached, who are of the mandatory school age, 17. Yes. Yeah. There are a couple of questions in the chat. If I could go to the chat. More than a couple, actually. Good. It's great. It is good. There is a question here. It says, did any parent or key individual consulted? I'm not sure what that means. So if you could add some clarification there, that would be very helpful. Then going further into the chat. So why was the obligatory school age extended to three to 17? Excuse me. What was the reasoning behind this new move? Thank you very much for the question. It was extended the reasoning behind the move. It was based on consultation with St. Lucians. And many people had expressed the desire to have early childhood education added to the Education Act. And also many persons expressed the need to have a longer time frame for students to finish secondary school. As I mentioned a moment ago, some students require longer to successfully complete secondary school. And so the age was added. Also, looking at education systems around the world, more and more, they're adding early childhood education to the education systems. And so this is a trend that we're seeing that is also part of the reason for this expansion. Hello. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Thank you. Mike is on. Is there another question there, Paula? Sorry, I was speaking with my muted on. It says the question is, is the government going to make available public early childhood education across the island? Or is it that the pre K program will be extended? Most early childhood centers are private. The question, and this is a question that has arisen in many town hall meetings. The provision that's made in the draft Education Act is that early childhood education will be expanded to three to five years. We recognize that some schools have already added pre kindergarten programs, especially in schools where there's declining student enrollment. But we also recognize and there's provision in the act that the government of St. Lucia will require some time and additional resources in order to make early childhood education for ages three to five years accessible to all children. So it will take some time, but this is a recognition that they're on the path to expanding and to offering the service to more children. I don't know, Mrs. McKinnon, if you wanted to comment further. No, that's that's exactly right. The vision for education is that it would include early childhood. But the operationalization of it is anticipated that it would take some time and that time depends on obviously the funding that's available to education and the funding that's available to education. So there's an intention most definitely and you're seeing evidence of that right now through the introduction of pre K and and the act now supports. Whereas before the active didn't even really support the introduction of pre K it is now supporting it. So the question about I think this is this is going back, Dr Williams to the question about this, the students right to privacy this it says does this contradict the right to work at 16 will the labor code be adjusted. Oh no I don't think so I think that relates to the mandatory school age. Does this contradict the right to work at 16 will the labor code be adjusted. Thank you for the question and you're raising an important point because one of the things about this work that's been very complicated is the Education Act intersects with many other pieces of legislation in St Lucia. You've mentioned the labor code. When we talk about the prohibition against alcohol and school premises, we have to look at the laws about liquor control. And so there are many different intersections here. I'm wondering if your question is about more about the prohibition against employment during school hours. I think we have added sections to the draft act to deal with problems with student attendance. And we've heard from any St Lucia that they are very concerned about student absenteeism that they're not attending school regularly and what can be done to ensure that students are in school during the school day. So Christina, did you want to comment further on your question in the chat. Yes, my dear, I'm actually at a function so I have to type. The labor code, we have pattern employment at 14 and against employment at 16. I'm saying if you're making education compulsory at 17, then that directly contradicts the right to work at 16. Because I can't actually work because I'm supposed to be in school. So at what time do we marry this? How does this fit into the labor code? Ms. Corby, you could certainly work part-time. Yes, you can work part-time but there are some people who don't want to go to school because they don't see the value in school. I am in a secondary school and by 16 some of them know this system, the meritocracy is a fast way to go to work. What do I do in that situation? Do I call the truancy officer? Because the laws of the land space, they can work at 16 and you're forcing me to keep them at 17. So then it must be a marrying. We cannot have two contradictory laws. I can work. It doesn't say part-time. It says I can't get to work at 16. Thank you so much for that. The labor code says that they have a right to work, but it doesn't mean that they must work at 16. And the Education Act says that they are required to stay in school to 17. So we will take this under advisement and check with our legal counsel on this, but I don't myself see it as contradictory at all. They can work, but they must be in school until 17 because that's when the, at least the stakeholders with whom we've consulted to date have believed that the education, the formal education system, basic education, if you will, is completed. So that's why it was extended to 17. And actually there were suggestions that it might even be extended beyond that, but we stopped at 17. So we appreciate your comment and we will consult to make sure that there is not a contradiction between the two. As Dr. Williams said, it is complex when you're looking at other acts. So we will definitely follow up on that. And thank you so much for raising it. Another question in the chat. Now that you're saying that you must stay at school until 17. Too many conflicting, very effective. If you've seen that, it's not the end of concept. So I'll have them working down. So is it fair we can hear your mic is on, please? I think they're making the point about the age and the... Yeah, I'm hearing just pieces of it. But if I've heard correctly, you're saying that a student is an adult at 18. They can work at 16 and they're required to stay in school at 17. And that this is conflicting. Now, Judith Wilson has asked a question that says, what about students who finish secondary school at 15 or 16? Actually, it would be fairly difficult, we believe, to finish school at 15 or 16 unless they were advanced. And there are obviously opportunities for extraordinary circumstances. And we would see that as quite likely in an extraordinary circumstance. Dr. Williams, is there anything you wanted to add to that? Oh, no, thank you. Okay. Okay. Please expect... I think we've got this... It says, please explain number 53D respect to right of children and parents. I think that has been covered, has it not? I think there was one about that, Paula, about special education. Yes, I'm getting to that one now. I was just trying to keep on the same theme. Parents have the final say in whether recommendations to special education centers... I think it says, in St. Lucia, parents have the final say in whether recommendations to special education centers are upheld. What allocations does the act make to ensure that parents observe the recommendations that the special education unit decides on after students have completed the MDT assessment, multi-disciplinary team assessment process, which is the process utilized by the unit? Thank you. Thank you for the questions. And with regard to section 53D that you've referenced, this speaks to the establishment of the special needs council and inclusive education council. And D talks about the membership on that council. And we've included proprietors and principals of special needs schools, persons with disabilities, a parent of a child with disabilities, et cetera. So 53D speaks to the membership on that council. And with regard to the determination of special needs and the recommendations that are made after an assessment, that's addressed in section 73 of the draft act. And once a child is referred for assessment for determination of special needs, section 73C states that the chief education officer can cause a multi-disciplinary assessment of the student to be made as you've referenced, seek professional advice from experts, determine whether a special needs education program must be provided for the student and provide the parent in writing with the results of the assessment, an explanation of the special needs education plan designed for the student and information about the right to appeal to the education appeals tribunal. So if after a multi-disciplinary assessment, the parent disagrees with the recommendation that's made about the child's education, they have the right of appeal. And that's described in section 74. So those are the provisions around the multi-disciplinary assessments. And that appeal will go to the education appeals tribunal. And Ms. Charlemagne, I believe you have your hand up. Yes, I have two questions. We will go to section 199 first, which speaks of vendor on school premises. And then we'll go back up to 198, a closure of schools. So in 199, number one, it says a person shall not sell or offer sale of goods, a service food or drink or any other item on the premises without the, within an entrance or exit of a public school or assisted school without the written permission of the chief education officer. And number eight, it says a person who contravenes this subsection, conviction to a fine of $1,000 or to imprisonment of six months. Now, my question about this, you have situations at a school where you may have a function, for example, a pageant or some activity, you may have some sporting activities, and you would require the service of vendors. You would require persons to come there to feed the population of students, or it is the public that you're expecting at the school. So I'm just wondering how practical is that that you would have to solicit the commission from the chief education officer to get vendors on the school for this particular activity. And it has to go through an interview process and all that bureaucracy. And I am just having some difficulty just looking at the practicality of it. I understand for the term during term time that you have regular vendors on compound, and you may want to put that regulation in place that stipulation in advance, but you have activities that are ongoing or something that just crops up and you need to have a major fundraiser, and you need additional vendors, especially if you're having it on a school compound. So how does that work? Can the principal decide that I'm going to contact certain vendors, reputable vendors from the community, food sellers, to come to the school just to assist us with that activity in terms of food sales? Does it have to go through the chief education officer and through all that red tape of interviews and all that? Thank you for the question. And I understand what you're saying about the practicality. Again, there's an intersection here with regard to the Health Practitioners Act. You can see in sections 199-3. And also, I'm guessing, but we will check into it with Ms. Kim St. Rose, who is the lawyer on our team. We'll check into this. I'm also guessing that there are prohibitions with regard to what can be sold at school premises in terms of nutritious foods, that they are safely prepared and that they meet the requirements for food handling in general in St. Lucia. And we will check in to that with Ms. St. Rose. So thank you for the question, and we will follow up on that. Now, could I just add just a little bit of an addendum to that as well? One of the things that we noted in the interpretation of the act when we were going through the review is that the chief education officer, when named in the act, quite often persons took that to be literal, the chief education officer must do this. But actually in the current act and in the proposed act, you will see that the chief education officer has also the right to delegate. So if there is a policy in place to ensure the safeguard of the quality of vending that happens on a school property, the chief education officer could delegate that responsibility, for example, to a district education officer or whomever. So the chief education officer does have the right to delegate and I just wanted to point that out in terms of operationalizing some of the sections of the act. Yes, Ms. Now, based on what you're saying, it actually responds partially to my question for closure of schools for section 198. I see repeatedly, for example, in for closure of school, one moment, the doctor said, it says that if a school is closed on the subsection, the minister may provide not this. A principal of a school may close a school temporarily in an emergency or, oh my goodness, and if it is impractical to obtain the prior approval of the minister or the chief education officer. And repeatedly, I'm seeing chief education officer, like, what is the role of the district education officer? Because in the principal, for me, the principal can liaise with the district education officer who may want to contact the chief education officer or may want to authorize a temporary closure in the event that they do not get the chief education officer, rather than moving that up to the principal. So what really is the function of the district education officer if the principals always have to go directly to the minister or the chief education officer? So I think some of these things need to be corrected there because it just flushes out the district education officer completely from exercising any control in anything that happens in schools. Thank you for the question. We have had questions raised earlier, Miss Charlemagne, about the role of district education officers. And again, we're noting that and we will take that to Mrs. Kim St. Rose and look into this question. Thank you. But again, I want to add, and I think Miss Charlemagne, you picked this up, that the chief education officer does have the right to delegate. And I think that the intention behind that clause of the act was actually to give principals in an emergency situation the right to close the school because there might be a fire, whatever. So there is an opportunity for the principal to act. In terms of the education officers, there is now added to the Education Act, a section that outlines the rights and responsibilities related to education officers that was deliberately done. So to Dr. Williams' point, perhaps we have not made it as extensive as persons would like it to be, and we will certainly look at that. But we were also wanting to ensure that there was a good balance. We can't make the act a job description. So we wanted to make sure that for all positions that are described in the Education Act that they are broad and that that guides then the job description that is created for different functions within the system of education. Thank you, Paula. And further to that point in section 12 of the act under the duties of an education officer, Part C, assist with an emergency response, crisis leadership and the handling of an urgent matter. But we have an explicitly said school closure. So we will note that and look at being more specific regarding the duties. Thank you for raising that. And then Dr. Williams, there's a comment here. I think it is a question, but it's a comment provisions for unvaccinated unvaccinated students to obtain an education. So in the process for admission to school, proof of immunization is required. However, we have had several participants in the town hall meetings raise the issue of possible exemptions, for example, on religious grounds. So this is a matter that we're also referring to Miss Kim St. Rose to look into the question of exemptions. They're not currently addressed in the draft Education Act, and we are looking into them. And that would also address, I believe, a comment in the chats saying there should be a board to which you can apply if you do not wish to have children vaccinated due to religious and cultural reasons in other countries. For instance, Canada, this is a provision. I wish to no longer vaccinate my child. Mandatory vaccination is discriminatory. So as Dr. Williams said, we are looking into a process to consider that. And we did have quite extensive discussions about it, but we will revisit it based on the feedback that we've received both tonight and in earlier town hall sessions. Thank you for raising it. May I just support. Yes, I was saying I want to support. I want to support Joel Shalman with regards to closure of schools and the role of the education officer in that regard because there have been many instances where it's raining heavily in castries. It's flooded in castries. And because the Ministry of Education is in castries, they are asking to close schools. I think the Ministry of Education, the Chief Education Officer, need to consult district education officers to find out the situation in their district or the district and their principals and schools in other regions because it doesn't mean because castries is flooding. And schools are shut in castries that all schools on the island should close. Also, I just want to find out if there has been an inclusion in the definition for infant schools and district or education officers because from my recollection, I don't know if that change has been made, but when I was a principal, there was no definition for infant schools or education officers. So I'm hoping that these corrections are made. Thank you for the questions with regard to education officer. I'm just looking at the definitions and education officer is now included in the definitions in the interpretation section of the act and their duties have also been added as I mentioned in section 12 of the act. Infants schools, however, I don't believe we have specifically referenced. We've described early childhood education, but not infant schools. So we'll note that. Was there a reason why you wanted to have that included specifically? Well, there are infant schools. So since there are schools called infant schools, I just thought that it should be part of the definitions in the terms. And the reason I'm wondering is the compulsory school ages 3 to 17 and the infant schools, I'm guessing, have a younger client tell from birth? No. No? Okay. No, no, no. Infant schools are schools that actually often have sort of five and six year olds. I believe, is that not right, Ms. Charlemagne, so that they actually have divided primary into two school levels in some instances. And I think that's what is being referred to here. So it would be part of the primary sort of grouping, but there are different schools to do that. And I do think it's a very good point. And we should look at, when we look at, when we describe the stages of education to look to see how that might be incorporated so that it is recognized that there are schools that basically primary kindergarten through grade six are not always offered in one school. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that. Thank you for raising that. That is the end of the chat. Dr. Williams, did you want to go on? Yes, please. So now we're going to turn to the regulations and we have a one page overview of the regulations, the draft regulations, and the regulations, the Education Act, Ms. Charlemagne said at the beginning is like the Bible for the education system. It provides the legal framework and everybody operates within that framework. The regulations provide procedures and guidelines that help with the interpretation and implementation of the Education Act. So it provides more detail on how to do things that are referenced in the act. In the preliminary section in the draft regulations, there is an interpretation section with some more definitions. Then part one deals with the administration of schools. So it describes how many days are in the school year in St. Lucia. When the school year begins and ends, how many hours in the school day and the length of school vacations. It also speaks to school timetables, the admission of students to school, the registers that have to be kept, the selection of textbooks, student assessment and the zoning of schools. Now, one of the things that we heard from many educators during our consultations was that they felt that teachers did not have enough time to cover the curriculum. That there were disruptions during the school day and during the school year and they felt really crunched for time. So one of the things that we emphasized in this section on the administration of schools is the protection of teaching time so that teachers can teach. So that's one of the themes that runs through part one. Part two and schedule five in the regulations describes the national curriculum. It describes the subjects that are offered at the primary and secondary levels and, for example, outlines the subjects offered in each form at the secondary level. Part three describes the management of schools, whether they're public, assisted or private schools. More detail is provided on homeschooling and also with regard to inspections. And this was something that many people requested as well. They wanted to have more structure around school inspections. So now in the regulations and sections and schedule seven, there is a list of matters to be addressed during inspections. And we've got, oh, there we go. Part four addresses councils and associations, including students, councils, national students, council, parent teacher, community associations and the National Council of Parent Teacher Community Associations. Part five and schedule eight provide a detailed description of the National Code of Conduct, including the guiding principles of the code, the purpose, the standards of behavior, the standards for appropriate dress, different categories of misbehavior, acceptable and unacceptable responses to misbehavior, and the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved. The roles and responsibilities of students, parents, teachers, school administrators, community members, the Ministry of Education in promoting and enforcing positive, respectful behavior. And as we've mentioned earlier, there's an emphasis on prevention and teaching positive behavior. But there's also a recognition that misbehavior has to be dealt with promptly and effectively, and that's addressed in the National Code as well. Part six deals with disciplinary complaints. So if there's a complaint, what is the hearing process? How are they handled? That's all described in part six. Part seven describes the Education Appeals Tribunal, the process for an appeal, the hearing that happens, etc. And then part eight is miscellaneous, and this includes a variety of topics and also different schedules and forms. For example, the zoning scheme for St. Lucia Schools is included in this part of the regulations and different forms such as the application form for a permit to operate a private school. So these are the different components of the draft regulations. Next slide, please. Now, do we have any questions or comments about anything in the draft regulations? Anything about the school year, the school timetables, the national curriculum, the National Code of Conduct. These are all described in detail in the regulations. Any questions or comments about those? Crescencia, please go ahead. You guys had me on the phone there for almost two hours. I have a question regarding the petition. Is the petition specific to the students or is it everybody involved in the education system? And how exactly does this work? For instance, April says the vacation period for Easter shall be two weeks, no less than two weeks, no more than four. But according to our collective agreement, the first week of Easter is not vacation. So should it be specific that the vacation is for which group of stakeholders? Thank you for the question. We haven't had a question like that so far. So that's a good point. So you're saying that the first part of the Easter vacation under the teacher's contract is not considered vacation. Is that correct? That's what it says in the collective agreement that the vacation period, the first week is for professional development or other assigned ministry assigned activities. So if it says vacation, what we have to really define the scope of vacation then? Is it actually vacation? Will it be vacation and will the collective agreement now need to be viewed? This section relates to when education occurs. So our intent was that the vacation period would mean when students are present to be instructed, I guess is the best way to put it. Perhaps that is not clear enough. As Dr. Williams said, this is the first time that we've actually, someone's raised it and we're grateful for that. So we would look at the wording to make sure it's very clear that the vacation period is actually defining, the intent here is to define basically the number of days that students are taught. And that's why the intention around sort of vacation, holidays, those sorts of things. So we will endeavor to make sure that's much clearer. Thank you. Okay, noted. And then just one other thing under there. Is it that this is when compulsory instruction is because then you want to make the provision for lesson periods. Most people have lessons during the Easter vacation, CXE exams are during the Easter vacation. So would it be vacation, barring, external exams, provision for external exams, what's the professional arrangement here? So once again, the intention is here, the intention here is to describe when schools are in session for formal instruction. If there is exam prep that happens at a time when exam prep might not necessarily be labeled formal instruction, it's review and preparation, which is something quite different. So the intention here again is to describe the days when students are learning new material, and they're learning the curriculum, those sorts of things. So it is not, again, it's not intended to capture all forms of when students are informally being prepared and those sorts of things. So again, we will look at this to make sure it is very clear in terms of what we mean by the instructional time. Thank you for raising it. Thank you. Any other questions or comments on the regulations, anything on the curriculum, the National Code of Conduct? Yes, Ms. Charlamagne, please go ahead. I have a question on the Education Act. I saw somewhere about search of students that the principals have the right to search any child based on suspicious ground and if an illegal weapon or whatever it is was found in the child's possession. And this has to be given to the police. In the past, it has helped us greatly in terms of curtailing some of the illegal activities and some of the things that students take into the school when we have the police department come to do their random searches. That has helped a lot with maintaining order and discipline in school, but that has been withdrawn and it has been stopped for a while. And we have seen an increase in the number of, you know, things that the students would bring like weapons and drugs and so on because they know that there is no longer this mandatory, well, this periodic search by the police. So I was wondering how possible it is, or if it is possible at all, where it is included in the Education Act that the principal has the right to solicit the assistance of the police in carrying out random searches of students at school. Thank you for the question. There is a new section added to the Education Act on power of search and seizure. And that's section 170 of the draft act if you'd like to take a look at that. And under the provisions, the vice principal, a teacher or a teacher may search a student or their property if there is an imminent threat to the safety of the student or another person on the school grounds. Or there's a reasonable suspicion that the student has an item prohibited by the National Code of Conduct or school rules, such as just what you mentioned, illegal drugs, a weapon on them, something like that. So if a weapon, for example, is seized, then there's a process for how that's dealt with. With regard to the question you raised about, is there specific provision that the police can be called upon to do random searches? That's not spelled out in the act in answer to that question. But there is an obligation to report to the police in section 172. If a student commits a criminal offense on school premises, while the student is under the control of a teacher or an employee at the school, there is an obligation to report that to the police. But in answer to your question, there is no provision for police to do random searches at school. So we're noting that. Thank you for raising it. If I might take a moment just to talk a little bit about the Code of Conduct. When you look at the Code of Conduct, the Code of Conduct is designed to encourage principals, vice principals, students, teachers to come together in a positive way to discuss what is acceptable behavior to ensure a positive learning. So the way that the Code is written is from a positive perspective. This is what we as a community believe that is positive for teaching and learning in our school. And so then it describes some guidance as to what is a positive acceptable learning environment. And then it goes on to talk about misbehavior and the responses to misbehavior. So the intention is to assume that everyone knows and understands, as a matter of fact, the Code of Conduct says that it must be shared so that everyone knows that there's an acceptable standard. And then it empowers teachers and vice principals and principals to take action when that positive environment is not maintained, when a student compromises that positive environment. And further, in terms of search and seizure and in response to representations from educators that we receive, there was a concern that they didn't feel empowered to do a search when there was an immediate danger and that there was a threat basically to the school community. And so the idea of adding search and seizure as a possibility for principals, vice principals and teachers was in fact to enable them to react quickly in a difficult situation and not have to wait for the police. Now that doesn't in any way prevent a principal from contacting the police and asking them to do specific things on the school compound if a principal thinks that's warranted. That is certainly within their purview to invite anyone into the school compound. But I just wanted to give a little bit of background on the proposed National Code of Conduct and the approach that it recommends to the creation of positive learning environments at school. And I think there's a couple of more comments in the. Also to add to that question, so would it be okay for the principals to organize for the teachers to just perform a random search of the students because in the education at is. Exclusive. But you would have to have cause to do that you, you can't you can't just randomly search students for no reason. Of course you would have cause to do that. So that's. Based on. If I could. If I could. Sure. On this point. Thank you for raising the point. Section 172 says not withstanding section one, which is about the power of search and seizure. If there's an imminent threat, a principal vice principal or a teacher may randomly search a student in the interest of maintaining the safety of the staff and the students of the school. So that's the provision that's made a draft act right now. Okay. Thank you. And I also have another question on early, early childhood. I do not see anything in the education act on early childhood. I know in some countries in some Caribbean countries, K3 and K4 are mandatory in the country. And I do not see anything there for early childhood in terms of pre K education for students. Thank you for the question and we have been asked that question before and we have provision for early childhood education. So if you look at the stages of public education, and I'm just going to give you the exact section of the act as I'm flipping here to it. So if you look at the stages of public education in section 29 of the draft act, the first one public education consists of the following stages and the first one is early childhood. And there we're talking about in this act ages three to five pre kindergarten would fall under it. We haven't named it specifically, but we have had requests to include pre kindergarten in the definitions and to explicitly reference it in the act. So we'll certainly take that under advisement. But early childhood is referenced in section 29. Okay. And if I might add one of the things that has come out as part of this, these town hall discussions is that in the national curriculum to date, there has been no reference made to an early childhood curriculum. And, and we do know that there is a curriculum that is used for pre K. And there is a curriculum that is often used for pre pre K. And, and so we have committed to ensure that there's some reference to a curriculum or what the general intention is for curriculum at the early childhood level. We're very good because currently we do not have a curriculum for pre K. Incident motion based on my knowledge. Well, and in terms of the national curriculum, we just talk about what's in the act. We recommend that we just talk about what's included. It's not specific to, you know, the, the, the, the actual curriculum is not included in the act, but right now there is nothing and, and we do, we are, we are in agreement with you. That something should be said. Yes. More detail on that in the regulations because it's in the regulations where we have the greatest detail on the national curriculum where the subjects are spelled out, for example. And we're looking at that as a possible place to specifically reference early childhood education. Okay. And my last question relates to assessment. In assessment, I saw where it was specifically identified that the examination is the Caribbean primary exit assessment. And that will be written in the Education Act. So it suggests to me that this is the examination that we will be keeping for the long haul. So can there be some flexibility where it is stated Caribbean primary exit assessment and any other national exam that will be adopted by the Ministry of Education? Because previously we had common entrance. It was changed to CPA. I am thinking futuristically that it might change to something else if we are not too satisfied with the results of the CPA. In terms of CXC, that has been there for generations, but that national exam that is taken at the primary level, based on what is happening right now, it was changed from common entrance to the CPA. There is a possibility it might change to something else because a lot of Caribbean countries are moving, those who were doing CPA are moving away from CPA right now. And they are adopting all the forms of assessment, national assessment. So I'm just wondering if there should be, you know, something added there and any other national exam adopted by the Ministry of Education and not just limiting it to the Caribbean primary exit assessment. Thank you for the question. And certainly assessment is an issue that has come up repeatedly and changes to assessment. I'm going to speak to it and then I'm going to ask my colleague Mrs. McKinnon to add some more information here. If you look at the section of the Act Part 5 on the National Curriculum Instruction and Assessment of Students, if you look at Part 104C, there is specific reference there to balanced assessment. And that there should be diagnostic assessment for students at the start of a unit of study, formative assessment of a student throughout a unit of study, and summative assessment of a student at or near the end of each stage of education for the purpose of ascertaining his or her progress. So there is provision there beyond examinations for different forms of assessment. They are recommended and stated in the Act. The other key thing there is it says summative assessment. It's not saying just examinations, but there are many different forms of summative assessment. The other thing I would point out is that on another front, there is work underway to develop a new harmonized primary curriculum across the OECS, and that there are different assessment practices being prepared as part of that harmonized curriculum. I'm going to ask Paula to speak to that please. Yes. Well, thank you very much. And I think actually, Ms. Charlemagne, you're absolutely right. What we did in that section was we took out the old examination standard and put in CPEA. And I think that if we are to be futuristic about this, we need to make sure that the language in that section refers to CPEA or the summative assessment that is designated as acceptable or something like that. So one of the things I think as you've identified, one of the things that we hope that the Act will not do is tie educators to something that is old or require a revision to the Education Act to adopt something new that is very positive in terms of assessment or education in any way. So it's probably, it is, I think, a very good, it's something, I thank you for pointing it out. It's something that I think we do need to take another look at. And I can certainly see your rationale for suggesting that it be broader. Oh, thanks. Thanks. Thank you. There's a question in the, in the chat. Could you please explain 164E and right of parents and students as it relates to medical exam and immunization. So 164 is the section that deals with suspension. And 164E, a student may be suspended for a refusal by the student to be medically examined, immunized or treated under this Act. And here we get into the intersection with other legislation. It says under this Act, by a medical practitioner registered under the Health Practitioners Act, CAP 1106, or a nurse registered under the Registration of Nurses and Midwives Act, CAP 1108, etc. So here we get into other laws that we're intersecting with. And as we've mentioned earlier, we're going to look into exemptions for immunization. So that's a topic that we're going to be discussing with Ms. Kim St. Rose. And I think that that is one of the most pertinent points there. And I'm just trying to think of other aspects of that that might be in play. Paula, do you have any further thoughts on that? Well, I think that if I understand correctly, one of the things that in terms of a medical exam, I believe that the Act is trying to outline the qualifications of someone who might conduct a medical exam, who's qualified to do that, to ensure that the education system is relying on a professional medical opinion when making decisions. You're quite right. Of course, with the immunization, we've already stated that we do have to look at that and look at a process for those who, for whatever reason, do not wish to have their children immunized. Does that, Dr. Williams, does that make sense? Yes. So we will look into that further. Thank you for the reference. And there was also a comment in the chat that the CPEA specific education is where some patterns in the region show dissatisfaction with the CPEA. The next person says, I think there is a need to include a section in the Act as it relates to resources, particularly minimum requirements for classroom as it relates to manipulatives, et cetera. Dr. Williams, did you want to respond or would you like me to respond to that? Actually, I'll respond to that one. Thank you. The Education Act does provide the legal framework for the operation of the St. Lucia education system. However, the Ministry of Education retains control over key decisions such as the allocation of resources, staffing and hiring decisions, construction of schools, et cetera. And they require that ability to maneuver and make those decisions in response to changing conditions, the amount of resources they have available, et cetera. So a standard for minimum requirements for classrooms is generally not found in an Education Act. That said, there are instances where there are national codes for schools for the building or renovation of schools that describe minimum standards for classrooms. So it may be placed there, but it's not something that you would find in an Education Act. Thank you. No, that's good. Thank you. There is a next question it says in the regulations, the National Qualifications Framework, why is a diploma at a higher level than a bachelor's degree? And I'm just going to the qualification framework so that I can take a look at it. And while I do that, perhaps I'm just going to look. Ms. Charlemagne has her hand raised, perhaps Ms. Charlemagne, could we go ahead with your question while I just look this up? On suspension 164, number two, it says a principal or the chief education officer may impose an in-school or an out-of-school suspension as prescribed. But I'm questioning the vice principal, in some schools you have vice principal, so does that exclude the vice principal? Can the vice principal not impose a suspension on a student? Thank you for the question. And in answer to your question, yes, a vice principal can impose that condition in that, in the duties of the vice principal, if you go ahead to the duties of the vice principal, in section 177, the vice principal assists the principal in managing the school and undertakes duties delegated to him by the principal or authorized by the chief education officer. So a principal could certainly delegate to a vice principal the duty around suspension. And so that's possible again through delegation. Okay. So it does not necessarily have to be specified there that the vice principal can suspend because I have known some situations. It does not happen in my district where in other districts, persons have questioned the Education Act and the vice principal suspended and the vice principal has no right to suspend them because this is the principal. You know, in terms of word in the English language, people can use it to their advantage. So this is the reason why I'm asking that question. Thank you for the question. And we'll definitely check into that wording and look it over very closely. Thank you. Yes, go ahead, please. I also have a question regarding, is there anywhere in the Education Act where it specifies the student to teacher ratio? I know in some countries in the Education Act, it has more than 20 students assigned to a teacher in the classroom. So do we have this kind of provision in our act? We don't have a student to teacher ratios or staffing ratios or class caps, for example, they tend to be in policy documents as opposed to legislation, because the legislation is in place for a long time and the class caps or the ratios to the teacher ratios often have to be changed and upgraded as conditions change. So they're not included in the act, but they're often found in policies of government. Okay, thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. So in terms of the question about the National Qualifications Framework, I have gone to the framework as it appears in the regulations. And this is a framework that has been adopted in St. Lucia. And at level six, it speaks to a diploma in education, a specific diploma and a postgraduate diploma. So these diplomas are considered a level above a bachelor's degree because of their specificity, postgraduate diploma and a diploma in education. It isn't a general diploma. So a general diploma that you might get related to some an institution, for example, that provides you with a diploma in a particular vocational area or technical area. That is not what this is referring to here. This is actually referring to an advanced diploma either in education or a postgraduate area. Can I question and query that? Because as far as I am aware, the diploma in education does not supposed to be the bachelor's degree. Well, okay. Let me, this is not something that we, this has been approved by St. Lucia as the qualifications framework. So what I, what we will have to do as we took it from the other body. Can I interject? Oh, sure. Please. Thank you. That the, that in the. The diploma exposes the bachelor's degree. Exactly. Yes. No, it doesn't. So please. So, Miss Kazabon, could you just ask your question again specifically related to what diploma you're inquiring about? It's to the question in where, why is a diploma in education superseding a bachelor's degree? And somebody just said that it doesn't supersede the bachelor's degree. So how can it be at a level, level above a bachelor's degree? The coursework and the anyway, I will leave that a diploma. Typically, if it is a postgraduate degree, diploma, I'm sorry, diploma, then I guess in this context, it may apply. If it is a basic diploma pregraduate, then it's before your undergraduate degree level. So it would be less. So I think it may be needed to qualify this as to what type of diploma you speak to. But if it's a postgrad, then you have an additional course, some additional courses you would have completed beyond your undergraduate degree. That's my understanding of it as well. So as a postgraduate diploma, but not just the simple diploma in education, because you can get a diploma in education. No, a simple diploma does not equate to a full degree level program or certificate. That's what it's showing in the framework that a diploma supersedes a bachelor's degree. It's level six in the qualifications framework. Okay, we'll come back to it while Ms. Emanuel looks that up. And there are more. Okay. In St. Lucia, we usually do promotion by age and parents are not always receptive to repeating students even when it is absolutely needed. I would like to know what provisions are in the act for student promotion to another grade. Is it by age or does it encompass their academic ability and readiness to proceed? Thank you for the question. We have been asked this question in other town halls, so it's an important point. We don't have specific provisions for student promotion or retention in the Education Act. And this is a point that has been raised before that we are also looking into. But there are no specific guidelines or rules in this draft of the act for promoting or retaining students. And again, I believe Dr. Williams, is that not usually a policy as opposed to in the act? It is usually a policy. So, and that's a really important point. There are many different aspects of the legal framework of education that are handled by policies. And the reason that they are is that policies are more readily developed and can be more easily changed. With an Education Act, it has to go back through Parliament. So it is a very involved process versus policies, which can be more readily adjusted as time goes on and updated. So that is also a consideration here. Some of the issues that we're speaking about are really more properly handled in policies than in law. Hey, and we're just waiting on the National Qualifications Framework question. Oh, yes, I think probably the wording here because it's post grad certificate or post grad diploma. Because at level three, you have just diploma or advanced certificate. And at level six, you have the post grads. Right. But level six also says diploma in education. Am I watching at the same thing? Are you looking at the regulations? Oh, let me go into that. I was looking at the actual document itself. Page 26. Would you get to share it on the screen? Yes, I can. I guess just one moment. Oh, so we would need to correct this one, Paula. Okay. Thank you for raising it. Yes, thank you for raising this. Okay. Are there any other questions or comments? Okay, we'll go to our next slide, please, Paula. So we're really interested to hear if you haven't had a chance, if the topics haven't come up yet tonight. What do you think are the priorities that need to be addressed in the draft Education Act and regulations? What do you think are the most important things that need to be looked at? And the second question is, what do you hope will come out of the draft Education Act and regulations? So if you could take a few moments and think about what are the three most important priorities that need to be addressed and put them in the chat box or raise your hand and share them with us and any hopes you have for changes that will come out of this work. If you could share that, we'd really appreciate it. We've been getting really interesting feedback on this in the town hall meetings and very different viewpoints. So now is your chance to say what's most important? Actually, while people are doing that, there is a question in the chat. It says under 164E when it comes to a medical exam, at one point, is the parent informed and involved? Thank you for the question. And I can say with certainty that 164E we're revisiting. And so we will add that to the questions that we're looking at with 164E, which is that provision for suspension if a student doesn't cooperate for medical examination and immunization. So 164E is under review and thank you for flagging that further question. Any priorities, any hopes of what you'd like to see come out of this? There's another question while people are writing. Who is responsible for the safety of educators? Well, certainly the National Code of Conduct is promoting safety and security for everyone in school communities. And also if we look at the rights of educators, which would include teachers, vice principals, principals, school counselors. If we go to that section of the act on their rights. It's just the specific wording here. Okay. Good evening. I apologize. I'm just looking for that now. But I want to get the, oh, here it is. Okay. Rights of an educator to be, for example, one of the rights 175B, an adequate physical facility to enable the performance of the assigned duty. Of the teacher or vice principal, principal or counselor. So in terms of responsibility for the safety. It's not stated in the act, but I would certainly say the Ministry of Education has a major role to play in ensuring that the premises are safe. Looking at occupational health and safety issues. Looking at accessibility in the buildings. And if that's what the question is about, the Ministry certainly has a role to play in the maintenance and safety of the buildings. But I want to be sure that's the question that you're asking when you're asking who's responsible for the safety of educators. Is that what you're referencing the physical buildings and occupational health and safety? Or is it something else? Let's go into the buildings. In our school, we know that teachers, educators are directly responsible for the security of students because you're in the class with them, you are responsible for their security. But in terms, let's say, for example, maybe a student attacks a teacher, right? And possibly the teacher defends him or herself. Who is responsible for the teacher's safety in that regard? Because one, well, I lost it. There was a place it says that a child cannot be corporal punishment. And if anyone uses corporal punishment with the child, then they have, is it six months or 12 months of prison or fine of $2,000? So in that instance, who's responsible for the safety of the teacher? I mean, you have parents coming on compound. Sometimes the teacher may be attacked by a parent or somebody or a student. So in that sense, who's responsible for the safety of the teacher? So the principal certainly has overall responsibility for what happens in the school. But I would also point out, in addition to that, that the National Code of Conduct, the situation that you've described there is spelled out in the National Code of Conduct under the behaviors that are not allowed, the misbehaviors, including physical violence. So attacks on teachers would fall under that, verbal abuse, including verbal abuse of teachers would fall under that, weapons possession and use. So all of those misbehaviors are spelled out in detail in the National Code of Conduct. And the principal can certainly take steps to deal with the students who perpetrate those acts against teachers. If there are illegal acts, then the police can be called because of the provision in the draft act to call police. If there are, if there is illegal activity committed on school grounds and an assault would certainly be illegal activity. So it's not just one person, but multiple persons who are responsible for overall safety from the ministry to the principal. And in the case of criminal acts, the police come into the picture as well. And I think I just like to add to that, Dr. Williams. One of the things that there were several stakeholders in including the St. Lucia teachers union who who highlighted the importance of the regulations to us indicating that these that regulations were necessary to support legislation. And currently you do not have regulations. So these sorts of things that are included in the regulations, the national proposed National Code of Conduct is included in the regulations. And we believe this this addition and the and the eventual adoption of the of the regulations with the National Code of Conduct actually provides greater safety in legislation. For the four members of school communities. And just to add to that Paula, on page 40 of the regulations in the National Code of Conduct under safety and security, it states that the National Code of Conduct empowers an educational leader. That could include the chief education officer, permanent secretary, district education officer, school principal. It empowers an educational leader to protect the safety and security of a member of a school community as a paramount goal. So safety and security is emphasized over and over again in the National Code and protection of safety and security is a top priority. And there's another comment in the chat. I think there is a need for the act to provide substitute teachers at all levels in the education system. Again, thank you for the comment and the suggestion substitute teachers are certainly important. They fill a very glaring need in education systems. We call on them a lot. The hiring of substitute teachers is at the discretion of of and here we get into crossover with the teaching service commission and the ministry and the laws there. These are hiring decisions and hiring decisions are not included in education acts. They're taking those decisions are made by the hiring body. That's not to negate in any way the importance of substitute teachers, but the hiring or appointment of them is handled through other means, through policies of these other bodies. Another question or another comment in the chat. Sometimes parents refuse to allow their children to go through the MDT process when teachers suspect these students may have learning disabilities. Is there any clause which can be included in the act to mandate that parents must allow their children. And I'm just, I'm sorry. I just cut it off. Just give me bear with me one moment. There to mandate that parents must allow their children to go through the MDT process when there is reason to believe that the child may have an undiagnosed learning disability. Okay, I'm just going to go to the section on special education needs. So bear with me while I go to that exact section and look at that in the section. So with regard to a referral for a multidisciplinary assessment. The parent can request it a chief at the chief education officer. The principal can request it for the determination of special needs. So that request for the multidisciplinary assessment can come from parents or educators, educational leaders. And I'm just looking at the section 73 two of the draft Education Act states, and I'm quoting the following. A parent shell consent and writing to a special needs assessment. That section 73 two of the draft act. The parent certainly also has the right of appeal of the determination of special needs. But that is stated in the current draft act. Good evening. Good evening. Yes, go ahead. I had one question. According to what you just stated, is it or can it be mandatory that parents allow students to attend special education when it has been assigned that the child should attend a special ed school? Can it and then don't give them the option, but just like they should attend a secondary school after they have gone through MDT the MDT process. Like to me that's. I'm sorry for interrupting, please go ahead. I was asking. Can it be made mandatory that parents allowed students to attend a special ed school after they have gone through the MDT process and and not given the option of because sometimes parents are given the option of. Should their child attend or not, but most times they refuse. And sometimes there's the need for the child to attend a special ed school. But if the parent says no, then the child cannot attend the special ed school. So thank you for the question. And this is very complex issue. And there are several different sections of the act that deal with it. In section 74 in the section on special education needs. The parent can appeal to the education appeals tribunal. If the parent of the student disagrees with the special needs assessment. The determination of special needs or the special needs education plan established for the student. So if the if it has been recommended, for example, in the education plan that the child attend a special needs school, the parent can appeal that decision. So that's something they can appeal. The other thing I want to point out. That's what I'm saying. Don't give them the choice because some most times they will refuse. The other sections, there are a couple of other sections that are pertinent section six 69 and special needs education. The first part of that clause part one, the chief education officer shall provide a special needs education program. For a student by virtue of his or her special needs. Now in part two, it's stated that that program should be delivered in the least restrictive environment that best meets the learning needs of the students. So there is an intent here that whenever possible and appropriate children with special needs would attend mainstream primary and secondary schools. But here's part three to which is also pertinent to your question. A student with special needs shall be educated together with other students. Unless the nature or degree of the exceptionality of the student is such that to do so is inconsistent with the best interest of the student, the effect of provision for other students in the class. So what that says is there are situations where the needs of the student are such that they are best served by attending a special education school. And it says in section 69 for that the chief education officer may assign a student who is unable to be educated. They may that the chief education officer may assign a student to a special needs school. So it's a complicated issue. The other part I want to point out here is under the rights and duties of parents. There is a right of parents to have their wishes considered in the decisions in the decisions affecting their child at school. And so that is pertinent to this issue as well. So there are many different sections of the act at play. And I think that reflects the fact that there are so many different factors to be considered when determining where a student with special needs is going to be educated. My next question. Yes. How many students, especially autistic children, shouldn't make up a class? Well, that is impossible to answer in a sentence because autism spectrum disorder is a spectrum. You can have children on that spectrum who are very high functioning, in fact gifted, who do very well in school with some accommodations. And you can have children on that spectrum who are very incapacitated in different areas of their functioning. So simply by virtue of the fact that a child has autism, that doesn't really tell you how serious it is or how mild it is. And that impacts class composition. There's no formula for that. And I would add that this is a field that I've worked in for decades. And again, I'm not trying to dodge the question, but I'm stating the reality. It's very complicated because there's so many variations among autistic children. Okay, thank you. You're welcome. There's a comment in the chat that says, I'm hoping the revised act can create some measure of responsibility on parents as it relates to after school assignments, homework. Also, parents need to be made accountable for students' performance. Thank you for the question. In terms of parent duties, they do have the duty to make sure their child attends school. Also, they have to provide principles, keep them updated with current information, and communicate and collaborate with school personnel in the delivery of the education for their child. And they also have to encourage and reinforce positive, respectful behavior. So broadly speaking, they have to cooperate with the education, but there's nothing specific there about homework. So I'll note that. Thank you for flagging it. So I think that concludes the comments in the chat. Yes, it does. Is there any comment or question that I've missed in the chat? I tried to go through them as thoroughly as possible, but oh, actually, here's a good question. Has artificial intelligence been considered at all? Thank you for that question. It's been raised in other town hall meetings. We have addressed technology, for example, in the National Code of Conduct around issues of cyberbullying, proper usage of the internet and electronic devices, and also through things like online education. But we have not addressed AI specifically, and that's another topic we're looking into. And this is why the town hall meetings have been so important, because these types of issues have been brought up, and we are certainly looking into them. So thank you for the question. I think that's it for everything in the chat. So perhaps we might describe the next steps. So the next steps are all the questions and comments that are collected in the town hall meetings are recorded, and they will be analyzed to identify the main topics and issues that you raised. These topics and issues will be addressed in the validation and finalization of the draft Education Act and regulations. So we will prepare a final draft and an accompanying report and submit that to the Department of Education, and then the Department of Education of St. Lucia will decide on next steps. And now I'm going to turn it back to Ms. Charlemagne for closing comments. I want to thank everyone for your participation this evening and your contributions. This has been an excellent conversation. We've learned a lot, and we really appreciate you spending this evening with us and contributing to this very important work. I would like to say that it has been a very good discussion tonight on the revised Education Act and regulations. Some very good questions raised. I encourage critical thinking of some issues and gaps raised in education in St. Lucia. I noted that the draft revised education responded to issues emerging in education as well as global trends. It addressed the needs of the whole child and there is the promotion of inclusivity among other things. Importantly, we had an Education Act that was long overdue over revision. So with this draft Education Act, it is something that we have right now to work with and we trust that the recommendations made and the issues raised will be considered for further revision to this draft. So I would like to thank everyone in District 8 from District 8 for your generous donation of time for this town hall meeting. Thanks to the consultants for the effort that you invested in this draft Education Act and for engaging us so much tonight so that our thoughts and concerns are captured in your further review. So I would like to wish everyone a restful night and thanks for joining in. Good night everyone. Good night. Good night. Recording stopped.